The first F330 head I tried (I have a pile of them) was, it turns out, DOA, it did not even initilize the LCD successfully. The second one started talking on the console port instantly as a DCE at 9600N1.
So reading the archives I gather that NetApp does not want their software run by hobbyists on vintage hardware. They don't want it, so I won't do it, their loss (of at least goodwill) - as well as mine.
So since I won't be using prepackaged software solutions I popped the lid, out of curiousity and to assess scrap value. (Anyone want to buy F330 parts? :-). Anyway, it sure looks like a Pentium 90 to me and I have somewhere in the cave a hardware debugger for those things. So I certainly know enough about it the create a floppy bootloader and tty driver.
At this point it occurs to me that since I've never touched any NetApp software or docs I'm "clean-room clean" to build a loader to bring an untainted Linux port up on the toaster-beast.
The F330 sure looks like solid hardware to run Linux on and if NetApp doesn't want their software used then Linux seems a good way to salvage residual value in obsolete old filer hardware.
Problem is that, though I know firmware level Pentium, I don't know Linux kernels. I suppose I could learn but would anyone else be interested in a project?
Better yet how about funding for commercialized (proprietary) Linux port components?
I live in Northern California, and curse letting my best email address out onto this list, only a matter of time before it gets spammed:-(
Henry
-----Original Message----- From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com]On Behalf Of Henry Black P.E. Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 7:08 PM To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Newbie
Hi, I'm new here. I bought a bunch of F330 for a peppercorn price at a liquidation sale. One SCSI cable lists for what I paid the the entire array.
I figure that in the worst case I can always break and sell the memory sticks and cables.
But curiosity gets to me, I'd like to bring at least one of these beasts up. I figured if I powered one up it would kick out a prompt on the console port.
But it doesn't seem to. Is there a trick to do a cold reset and get the things to start over?
Thanks, and please be gentle with a naive newbie.
Henry
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